"cancer danger"

#13439097

13 Mar 2026

Swayambhunath temple appears faintly in the distance as thick smog blankets the Kathmandu Valley in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 13, 2026. The capital experiences severe air pollution, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) ranging between 200 and 250, placing it in the ''very unhealthy'' category and ranking Kathmandu among the world's most polluted cities, according to the air quality monitoring platform IQAir's AirVisual. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), the most dangerous airborne pollutant because it can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, is recorded at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter--more than 25 times higher than the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3--while PM10 levels stand at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved AQI scale, readings above 200 indicate very unhealthy conditions. The Ministry of Health and Population urges residents to take precautions, warning that prolonged exposure to polluted air can damage the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and may contribute to illnesses including asthma, chronic bronchitis, cardiovascular disease, stroke, lung cancer, and other respiratory infections. Research shows that sustained exposure to high levels of particulate pollution significantly increases the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, particularly among children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing health conditions.

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#13435206

12 Mar 2026

People overlook the polluted haze covering Kathmandu Valley from a hill station in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026, as the Air Quality Index of the bowl-shaped valley continues to dip. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, is recorded at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#13435199

12 Mar 2026

Vehicles ply on the roads of Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026, as polluted haze covers the valley, plummeting the Air Quality Index. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, is recorded at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#13435200

12 Mar 2026

Vehicles ply on the roads of Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026, as polluted haze covers the valley, plummeting the Air Quality Index. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, is recorded at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#13435201

12 Mar 2026

Vehicles ply on the roads of Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026, as a polluted haze covers the valley, plummeting the Air Quality Index. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, is recorded at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#13435202

12 Mar 2026

People overlook the polluted haze covering Kathmandu Valley from a hill station in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026, as the Air Quality Index of the bowl-shaped valley continues to dip. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, is recorded at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#13435203

12 Mar 2026

A thick layer of polluted haze covers Kathmandu Valley as seen from a hill station in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, records at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#13435204

12 Mar 2026

A thick layer of polluted haze covers Kathmandu Valley as seen from a hill station in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, records at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#13435205

12 Mar 2026

A thick layer of polluted haze covers Kathmandu Valley as seen from a hill station in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, is recorded at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#13435207

12 Mar 2026

Vehicles ply on the roads of Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 12, 2026, as polluted haze covers the valley, plummeting the Air Quality Index. The city's Air Quality Index ranges between 200 to 250 in the "very unhealthy" category, well above the threshold of 150 that is considered unhealthy and past the 200 mark that signals very unhealthy air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the most dangerous category of airborne pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, is recorded at 129.9 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 25 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit of 5 ug/m3. Coarse particulate matter, PM10, stands at 100.3 ug/m3. Under Nepal's government-approved Air Quality Index scale, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and anything above 300 hazardous. The Ministry of Health and Population urges all residents to take precautions. According to the ministry, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and kidneys, and can contribute to conditions including asthma and cancer.

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#12925473

30 Oct 2025

A man holds a lit cigarette while smoking outdoors in Bologna, Italy, on November 11, 2021. Smoking is a bad habit and a major public health issue, recognized as an addiction and a leading cause of cancer.

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#12579612

24 Jul 2025

A man lies shirtless on a concrete structure for sunbathing during hot summer weather on a bridge in Berlin, Germany, on July 20, 2025.

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#12579613

24 Jul 2025

A man lies shirtless on a concrete structure for sunbathing during hot summer weather on a bridge in Berlin, Germany, on July 20, 2025.

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#12481367

16 Jun 2025

A woman lies sunbathing on a towel at the edge of Lake Starnberg in Starnberg, Bavaria, Upper Bavaria, Germany, on June 15, 2025.

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#11907070

31 Dec 2024

Belgium becomes the first European Union country to ban sales of disposable vapes (e-cigarettes) in January 2025 because of concerns about health care and the environmental damage they cause. Belgium receives approval from the European Commission for the ban. Taken in Brussels, Belgium, on December 31, 2024.

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#11907071

31 Dec 2024

Belgium becomes the first European Union country to ban sales of disposable vapes (e-cigarettes) in January 2025 because of concerns about health care and the environmental damage they cause. Belgium receives approval from the European Commission for the ban. Taken in Brussels, Belgium, on December 31, 2024.

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